Couple of years ago after I
took my first street photography workshop and have been listening ever since.

How long have you been
shooting and what inspired your interest in photography?

I've been shooting on and off
most of my life. I was 6 years old when I had my first experience with a camera
shooting my mom's Kodak Instamatic 44.
I remember loving to expend the flash cubes, they looked so crystal
clear and perfect, then after use, get all bubbly and distorted. It wasn’t till later I realized these
little black boxes make pictures. Then I proceeded to take all the family
vacation photos. I shot film
throughout high school and college with my trusty Nikon FE2, taking a few
classes here and there, spending countless hours in the darkroom developing
B&W film. My first experience into digital photography was in 1994 when the
Apple Quicktake 100 was introduced.
I was so excited I had the ability to easily connect to my home computer
and instantly, see the images I just took in all their 0.3 MP glory.

When my first child was born,
I realized the numerous P&S cameras I had were not able to capture the
unwillingness of the subject to sit still and pose. I know, how selfish of her.
I decided to invested in my first DSLR, a Canon 20D and from there, my passion
for photography became reignited. I consumed as many online photography
websites and all the photo books I can get my hands on to learn as much I can
technically as well as creatively. Back then, there certainly wasn't as much
information available as there is today. YouTube content was still 6 years off
from being conceived.

Do you have a preferred genre
or specialty of photography? Why?

I’ve tried many genres of
photography from, portraits to landscapes to weddings to studio editorial. I would definitely, dare to say, street photography is my preference and the purest form of photography I enjoy
the most. I truly get excited and
filled with childish amazement when I see a great street photograph captured. I wonder what was happening leading up
to the split decision when the photographer decided to press the shutter and
see all the elements come together in artistic harmony birthed from a world of
absolute chaos. I equate this to the new genre of auto racing called drifting.
The object is to get into a reckless, almost out of control situation but to
control what you can takes loads preparation and years of experience to
anticipate great moments. When I
see a moment unfolding, everything seemingly slows down and the only thing that
matters in the world is my eye, the camera and the framing. The end result is judged on the basis
of style (approach and attitude) and final execution. When everything comes together, light/shadows,
textures/shapes, compositional elements, etc - it’s nothing but synchronized magic. Being able to connect
with the world in this manner, invigorates me with a sense of breath, a sense
of life.

What subject matter, themes,
ideas do you like to explore or inspire your photography? Why?

I see myself as more and
opportunist and photograph whatever captures my eye. I gravitate towards people
in public spaces going on with their daily lives. I'm in the process of
reworking my website and hopefully start project based collections to help push
me in a more disciplined process of photography. The newly found community and
friendship of street photographers in L.A. has certainly allowed different
avenues of inspiration I never would have thought of. For me, to keep things fresh and engaged, I have to keep
learning and growing in new directions.

What creative or professional
goals do you have for your photography?

I certainly don't feel like
I'm quite there yet but I will pursue the possibility of publishing my own book
on my experiences of the rejuvenation of downtown Los Angeles and how it is
rebounding into a liveable, likable environment. Growing up in L.A., I used to call it No-Town, Downtown as
it sat through decades of decline.
Of course this type of change is coming at a cost to the thousands of
displaced homeless and other individuals getting priced out of their once
affordable housing.

Back to the book, I enjoy the
tangible experience of perusing a collection of photographs in book form cover
to cover. It’s like listening to
an entire album from the first song to the last song. There may be great stand alone songs but the wholistic
experience is greater than the simple sum of their parts. I think books are the best way to get the
most out of a photograph and/or series of curated photographs other than being
at a gallery exhibition.

Do you have an interesting
story or anecdote for one of the images you have submitted in your portfolio?

“Peeper” is about a little
kid who was running back and forth on the mezzanine level of a gymnasium making
a nuisance of himself during my daughters orchestra recital. It wasn't till afterwards I downloaded
the image and viewed it on screen that I realized he was wandering back and
forth in a room clearly noted “girls locker room”. I think it expresses a sense of playfulness and an endearing
moment of childhood innocence amusing himself from the evening’s seemingly
torcherous event. “Peeper” was
selected by the Los Angeles Times and featured in “SoCal Moments”. I had lots of people commenting on how
pervy the little boy was and “what was I doing there in the first place with a
camera” and he’s too young for that.
Really people? I think if
those were your first reactions to the photo, there are some personal guilt
issues you need to work out for yourself.

Do you have any personal
projects that you have or are working on that we would find of interest?

One project I am working on
is titled “Shooting Newton”, a
collaboration with the Newton Division of the LAPD located in South Central Los
Angeles. The project came about
with my participation in the “You Are Here 2” exhibition “Shoot A Cop” at the
Think Tank Gallery earlier this year.

What is your favorite piece
of equipment, software or accessory that makes a difference in your
photography? Why?

Adobe Lightroom is definitely
the most important tool I use for my photography. I'm not the best at
organizing myself but LR forces one to keep your image library tidy and easy to
find with folder collections, keyword tagging and metadata. Post processing is
mostly done in LR and the modules are designed to streamline a photographers
entire workflow.

What tip or suggestion has
best helped your development as a photographer? Why?

Stop spending so much time
behind the computer, go out and shoot. It's the “real life” experiences and
connections that make us who we are, not gear review forums. Also, no matter where you are in your
photography, whether you just picked up a camera or a veteran shooting for
agencies such as Getty Images, there is always something new to learn. Keep informed and educate yourself
everyday.

Which episode of The Candid
Frame photography podcast would you recommend to others? Why?

I enjoy listening to Zack Arias Episode #197and
his general outlook on photography and life in general. Zack has a very
practical approach to his business and willingness to be open with his mistakes
and experiences.Zacks description
of Jack White’s guitar performance (paraphrased)“there was something different, he played with such
intensity and passion, it blew my mind.”“Jack’s playing isn’t clean or perfect or technical.He plays with cheap equipment and
minimal gear but it has such soul, such grit and life.”I, myself, want that for my photography
being organic and truthful with all its technical imperfections but has meaning
and relevance.The real
world isn’t perfect, but I hope my images provoke emotional responses and
curiosity not just in photography, but in life.